Admirals - 1, Wild - 3: Egor Afanasyev Scores But Admirals Can't Get More Past Jesper Wallstedt

The Wild started the Minnesota Wild's 2021 first round goalie prospect Jesper Wallstedt. Wallstedt is a top goaltending prospect and has started five games so far this season for the Iowa Wild. 

Jake Livingstone headed to the penalty box early for a holding call at 1:59 giving the Wild the first power play opportunity of the game. The Admirals' smothering penalty kill, one of the best in the AHL so far, kept Iowa from scoring and generated two shorthanded chances that kept Wallstedt busy. Two minutes after the teams returned to full strength, Adam Beckman headed to the box and the Admirals played up a man. The Admirals recorded four shots on goal on the power play but couldn't find the back of the net. 

Each team exchanged quality opportunities as Zachary L'Heureux had a breakaway chance and the Wild had a two-on-one, but neither team capitalized. The Wild got the first goal of the game with just :12 remaining in the first period as Simon Johansson scored through traffic to give the Wild a 1-0 lead heading into the first intermission. 

Temperatures rose in the second period between the two teams as Jake Lucchini crashed the net after Grosenick had the puck covered, and the teams had an energetic "meet and greet" before the referees sorted it out. At 8:19 Zachary L'Heureux and Brett Budgell dropped the gloves and each earned five minutes for fighting. 

Penalties continued to plague the Admirals in the second period. Joakim Kemell headed to the box at 9:16 for interference. The Wild recorded two shots on goal during the man advantage, but Grosenick kept them off the scoreboard. 

At 13:06 Roland McKeown settled in for a four minute time out in the box after a high stick drew blood. The Wild pressured offensively, but a two on one breakaway chance by Jasper Weatherby and Egor Afanasyev resulted in the Admirals' first shorthanded goal of the season scored by Afanasyev at 14:36 to tie the game. 

Iowa made good use of their remaining power play as Steven Fogerty scored a tip in goal at 16:59 to give the Wild the one goal lead again. 

A late double penalty call came at 18:54 as Zachary L'Heureux was tripped up by Adam Beckman but both headed to their respective penalty boxes because L'Heureux was called for diving after the trip. The referees also tacked on a ten minute unsportsmanlike conduct on L'Heureux as well. 

The teams finished the second period playing four on four and headed to their locker rooms with the Wild leading by a score of 2-1. 

 Four on four play wrapped up uneventfully in the first minute of the third period. At 1:44 play shifted to five on four as Iowa's Jujhar Khaira headed to the box for a penalty. The Admirals created two quick quality chances late in the power play, but Wallstedt made the back to back saves and the teams returned to five a side. 

At 9:16 Joakim Kamel and Nic Petan sat for matching unsportsmanlike conduct calls after they exchanged what were likely not pleasantries as they headed off the ice at the end of a shift. Neither team could capitalize on the extra space on the ice, and the teams returned to five a side with no change in the score.

Milwaukee outshot the Wild through much of the third period, but Grosenick had to abandon his post in favor of the extra Admirals attacker with less than two minutes remaining.  The Wild quickly scored an empty net goal at 18:25. Time expired in Des Moines with the Wild claiming a 3-1 win over the Admirals.